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In 1944, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose established the Azad Hind Bank in Rangoon, Burma, to fund the war against the British, The aim was to print Indian currency notes to manage contributions from Indians worldwide.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Bank issued currency notes featuring portraits of several prominent Indian freedom fighters and leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (Commander of the Rani of Jhansi Women's Regiment)

The problem is not just the racist comments, but also the many people who validate and normalise the racism. If you post about this issue in NE subs, it will never be accepted. In fact, people will start blaming you for playing the victim or even delete the post. This just goes to show the reality. There has been an attempt to erase Bengali history in the NE. It’s high time we stop normalising racism against Bengalis.

You cannot change your mother, just as you cannot change your mother tongue.

Images and references used are from the book The History of Bengal, Vol. 1 (ed. R. C. Majumdar).

Samatata or Harikela (Eastern Bengal) is one of the ancient regions of Bengal.

Historically, this region was ruled by Chandra Dynasty, a prominent ruling family of Bengal.

The Chandra rulers had set up an independent kingdom in Eastern Bengal during the second half of the tenth century A.D.

Harikela, as a core region, comprised present day Barak Valley, Sylhet Division (ancient Srihatta), Chittagong, as well as the Kailasahar–Dharmanagar area of Tripura.

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Many historians and contemporary accounts have pointed to several procedural shortcomings and controversies surrounding the conduct of the Sylhet Referendum.
—-According to several historical accounts, the strategy of the ruling Congress leadership of Assam was to sacrifice Sylhet during Partition, and the then Prime Minister of Assam, played an important role in persuading the British colonial government to transfer Sylhet to East Pakistan.
—-The date of the referendum was fixed on 6 and 7 July 1947, and H.C. Stock was appointed as the Referendum Commissioner.
—-From the very beginning, the Governor of Assam had received many complaints regarding     manner in which the referendum was conducted  of the impending referendum.
—-The appointment of H.C. Stock as the Referendum Commissioner itself raised controversy.
—-The date fixed for the referendum was considered unsuitable, as the entire Brahmaputra Valley was likely to be flooded.
—-Within only three weeks after the declaration of the referendum, it was considered very difficult for the Government to arrange a sufficient number of presiding officers and polling officers.
—-The Sylhet Referendum was conducted on the basis of the existing electoral rolls of the 1946 Provincial Assembly elections.
—-The exclusion of plantation labourers and European planters from voting rights also created “controversy”. As a result, more than     1.5 lakh Hindu tea garden labourers were excluded from the electoral rolls and were unable to vote.
—-Scholars such as J.B. Bhattacharjee and Binayak Dutta have noted that the referendum remains controversial. According to these scholars, eligible voters most of them plantation workers and predominantly Hindus, did not vote owing to intimidation and threats by the Muslim League.
—-It has been argued that, had the excluded tea garden labourers been allowed to vote and had even 40 percent of them turned up for polling, the outcome of the referendum could have been different.
—-Allegations of massive irregularities were raised during the referendum process.
During the counting of votes, excess ballot papers were reportedly found in some ballot boxes.
—-According to the inquiry referred to in the extract, the Superintendent of the Assam Government Press allegedly arranged for a few thousand extra ballot papers to be printed, which were then allegedly inserted into ballot boxes through pro-Pakistani polling staff.
—-Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel reportedly complained to Lord Mountbatten regarding these alleged irregularities.

The Sylhet Referendum and the Partition of India permanently changed the lives and destinies of at least two generations of Hindu Sylhetis. After Sylhet became part of East Pakistan, many Hindu Sylhetis were compelled to leave their ancestral homeland and migrate to undivided Assam as refugees, often losing their homes, property, and livelihoods.

The post-Partition experiences of these refugees have received very little attention in mainstream Partition historiography and remain one of the least acknowledged aspects of the Partition narrative.
Historian Sujit Chaudhuri described the separation of Sylhet from Assam as "a god-sent opportunity" for the Assamese elite, but he also acknowledged that their initial satisfaction was short-lived. Soon after Partition, large numbers of Hindu Sylhetis migrated to undivided Assam as refugees after facing intimidation and violence from Muslims in East Pakistan.

Despite pressure from the Central Government to rehabilitate the refugees, the Assam government refused to grant land settlements not only to many refugees but also to non-Assamese communities, including those who had lived in Assam for generations.
The experiences of Hindu Sylheti Bengalis today highlight the complex and often under examined dimensions of the anti-foreigners’ movement in Assam. Their history should be studied alongside, not in place of, the persecution experienced by other communities.

The partition of Sylhet also created a profound void and an existential crisis for the Bengali-speaking inhabitants of the Barak Valley.
The question and the main point concern the unfair measures that were allegedly taken during the Sylhet Referendum. Many historians and scholars have argued that if the large number of tea plantation workers had not been excluded and the referendum had been conducted in a fair manner, the result and the destiny of the Surma Valley could have been very different. The question and idea remain whether the displacement of Bengali Hindus could have been avoided, and whether this might eventually have made it easier for the Barak Valley to become a separate state and preserve its identity. These questions and this history remain largely unanswered and unexplored in mainstream historical studies.

Reference:
Article from The Print- 73 yrs ago, Sylhet Referendum left a Hindu community homeless between Assam and Bangladesh

Wikipedia- 1947 Sylhet Referendum

Partition, Politics, and the Quest for Bengali Identity: A Case of Barak Valley in South Assam By Joyati Bhattacharya 

Sylhet Referendum of 1947: A ‘Forgotten’ Saga of Indian History” Nivedita Chakraborty Department of History, Bethune College

A FRONTIER BEYOND THE MAJOR POWERS

The history of the Karimganj (Sribhumi) region in Barak Valley is often viewed through the lens of larger and more dominant political centers, yet the region itself was once home to smaller kingdoms that played significant roles in shaping its past. Among these, Pratapgarh occupies a unique position. Unlike prosperous centers of power, Pratapgarh existed as a frontier kingdom, shaped by its geography and constantly influenced by the competing forces of Tripura, Cachar, and Bengal.

ORIGINS: FROM SONAI KASAMPUR TO PRATAPGARH

In early tradition, the region was not known as Pratapgarh but as Sonai Kasampur. The name Pratapgarh is generally attributed to a Hindu ruler named Pratap Singh, who is believed to have established his capital in this area. This account, preserved in the Assam District Gazetteer, suggests that the region had begun to emerge as a local center of authority even before its later political developments. Archaeological remains further support this idea. Across parts of present-day Karimganj, ruined fortifications and boundary markers point to an organized defensive system. At Chargola, the remains of an east–west oriented fort known as Jagannath Singh’s Garh still survive, while traces of other structures can be found in surrounding areas. Though much of this has been reclaimed by forests, these remnants indicate that the region once held considerable strategic importance.

BETWEEN LEGEND AND RECORD

The early history of Pratapgarh, however, is difficult to reconstruct with certainty. Much of it is shaped by legend and oral tradition. It is commonly believed that Pratap Singh and Jagannath Singh belonged to the same lineage and lived reclusive lives without leaving heirs. After their deaths, the former capital is said to have been occupied by Amir Azfar, marking a transition in authority. Yet these accounts remain uncertain, often conflicting and lacking firm historical grounding. More reliable evidence appears only later in land-survey records, particularly from the first Istaba, which confirm the name Pratapgarh and point to the rising influence of the Malik family, whose ancestors were associated with the Dewan lineage.

THE RISE OF MALIK MUHAMMAD TORANI

A clearer phase in Pratapgarh’s history begins in the late fourteenth century with the arrival of Malik Muhammad Torani. Associated with the political upheavals of Bengal, he migrated eastward and settled in the region. At that time, much of the surrounding territory was controlled by Pora Raja, a vassal of the Tripura kingdom. The confrontation between the two was brief but decisive. Pora Raja submitted and transferred authority, bringing an end to his own line of rule. With this, Malik Muhammad established control over the region, encouraged settlement, and laid the administrative foundations of a new political order.

MALIK PRATAP AND THE MAKING OF A CAPITAL

The transformation of Pratapgarh into a more defined center of power took place under Malik Pratap, the grandson of Malik Muhammad. He shifted the political center from Dewani to a forested region within present-day Karimganj, drawn by its natural landscape and strategic advantages. Strengthened by alliances with local elites, he established a permanent base there. His rule saw the construction of mosques, the renovation of earlier structures, and the excavation of large water reservoirs, most notably Rajbari Dighi. Over time, the surrounding elevated ruins came to be known as Rajbari Jungle. The presence of stone remains in the area suggests that the capital was once a place of considerable activity and craftsmanship.

CONFLICT WITH TRIPURA

As Pratapgarh grew in strength, it inevitably came into conflict with neighboring powers, particularly the rulers of Tripura. During the reign of Maharaja Pratap Manikya II, tensions escalated as Malik Pratap’s expansion began to challenge Tripura’s authority in the region. Internal instability within Tripura delayed a direct response, but the conflict reached a turning point around 1490 CE, when Pratap Manikya was killed in circumstances indirectly linked to Malik’s Pathan forces. In the aftermath of this shifting balance of power, Bazid emerged as the ruler of Pratapgarh.

BAZID’S RULE: POWER AND SUBMISSION

Under Bazid, Pratapgarh reached the height of its power. He expanded his authority, defeated the ruler of Heider Desh in Cachar, and fortified the region with defensive walls and moats. Confident in his strength, he assumed the title of Sultan, signaling a claim to independence. However, this assertion of autonomy soon brought him into conflict with the powerful Sultan Syed Hussain Shah of Bengal. By offering refuge to rebels from the Kamrup-Gour region, Bazid provoked a direct military response. The Bengal Sultanate acted swiftly, sending Sarwar Khan to suppress him. Bazid was defeated, stripped of his title, and forced to submit, leading to Pratapgarh’s incorporation into the Pathan-controlled Bengal polity.

THE FALL OF PRATAPGARH

Although Bazid’s successors attempted to maintain control, the kingdom had already begun to decline. The final blow came during the reign of Aftar Uddin Khan, when conflict with Cachar erupted once again. After the death of the Cachar king in battle, Queen Kamala led a powerful retaliatory campaign against Pratapgarh. Despite resistance, the kingdom could not withstand the assault. The capital was destroyed, the ruling family was largely annihilated, and the region fell under the control of Cachar.

A KINGDOM LOST TO TIME

In the aftermath of this destruction, Pratapgarh was left deserted. Its people were killed, scattered, or forced to flee into the forests toward Junglebari. What had once been a center of political ambition and activity gradually faded into silence. Today, only fragments remain across the landscape of Karimganj~ ruined fortifications, ancient water tanks, and scattered stone structures that stand as quiet witnesses to a lost past.

*Sources-

1. Srihatter Itibritta- Purbangsho

(Achutya Charan Chaudhary)

2. Wikipedia

What’s wrong is wrong !
Merit above all !
Financial assistance should be provided to needy
But no reservation to anyone based on Caste, sex, religion .

Ban caste
Remove reservation.

Many donation drives are currently underway, check the insta of Devarnav Sharma and Sukanya Boruah.

7th century CE, Kalapur inscriptions— The Kalapur inscriptions of the Samanta (feudatory) rulers of Samatata mention Srihattamandala, providing evidence that Srihatta was already recognized as a distinct territorial unit in the 7th century CE.

7th–13th centuries CE, Harikela coins— The discovery of a large number of imitation Gupta coins dating to the 7th–8th centuries CE and a huge quantity of Harikela coins dating from the 7th to the 13th centuries CE in several hoards across Southeast Bengal convincingly suggests the existence of a flourishing long-distance trade network during this period.

Scholars have identified two principal series of Harikela coins:
-The first series belongs to the 7th century CE.
-The second series spans from the 8th-9th century CE to the 12th-13th century CE.

[Reference from R.C. Majumdar, The History of Bengal, Vol. I.
“If the Abhidhäna-chintamani of Hemachandra and the Jayamangalä of Yaśodhara are to be believed, it was identified with or included some territory on the east of the Brahmaputra. Hemachandra actually equates the people of Vanga with the inhabitants of Harikeli (Sylhet ?)”
- The History of Bengal Vol.1 (Ed. R.C. Majumdar).
(Hemachandra equates the people of Vanga with the inhabitants of Harikeli.] [Hemachandra (c. 1089–1172 CE) was one of medieval India’s greatest Jain scholars, grammarians, historians, poets, and lexicographers.)

“Manjuśrī-mülakalpa mentions Harikela, Vanga, and Samatața as distinct entities and that in two manuscripts in the Dacca University collection, Harikola, that is possibly Harikela, is synonymous with Sylhet.”
(Two manuscripts in the Dacca University collection suggest that Harikola/Harikela was another name for Sylhet)
The evidence of the Mañjuśrī-mülakalpa need not, however, be taken to suggest that Harikela was dissociated from Vanga in all ages.
—-The History of Bengal Vol.1 (Ed. R.C. Majumdar)]

In addition, several local series of Harikela coins bear legends such as “Veraka,” “Piraka,” “Sivagiri,” and “Jayagiri,” which are interpreted as local place names within Greater Harikela. Here Veraka (Viraka) identifies with the Barak (Varaka) Valley of present-day Assam, while Piraka is identified with the Pilak region of present-day Tripura. This is used to explain the historical position of the Barak Valley within the Harikela region during the 8th–9th centuries CE.

10th century CE – Chandra dynasty—
The Paschimbhag Copper Plate Inscription of Srichandra records that the Chandra rulers of East Bengal ruled over Srihattamandala. This inscription provides the principal epigraphic evidence for the administration of Srihatta under the Chandra dynasty in the 10th century CE.

11th–12th centuries CE, Deva dynasty— The Bhatera Copper Plates mention the Deva rulers, indicating that an autonomous Srihatta kingdom flourished under the Deva dynasty during the 11th–12th centuries CE.

Source:
The History of Bengal Vol.1 (Ed. R. C. Majumdar)

Paschimbhag copperplate inscription, Wikipedia

The geography of Ancient and Medieval India, D. C. SIRCAR

J. B. Bhattacharjee,  Pre-Colonial North East India

Cachar under British Rule in North East India, J B Bhattacharjee

The Efflorescence of Sanskrit as a medium of communication in some early Bengal Inscriptions (6" century CE onwards), Priyankara Bhattacharya.